The Imperial Heyday 135
The sultan is thus above the law; unlimited power may eventually lead to
oppression (zulm), but not in the case of the Ottoman sultan as he is “support-
ed by God” and guided by “divine inspiration”.102 In contrast, when depicting
Mamluk rule in Egypt he attributes their failure to their system of rulership, as
they did not have an established dynasty; thus, they fell prey to the “fancy of
kingship” (sevda-yı saltanat ve malihülya-yı hilafet),103 which prevented them
from seriously caring about the problems in their realm (K104b).
However, it is always justice that empowers the sultan and makes his realm
prosper. Speaking of the Egyptian kanunname, in whose compilation he must
also have played a role, Celalzade notes that it was (K127a)
a moderate law (i’tidal üzere miyane bir kanun) ... in a way that does not
cause any loss for the sultan’s treasury and does not harm the tax-payers.More on justice is to be found in the relevant chapter of Celalzade’s Mevâhib
ül-hallâk (B68–70). Celalzade defines justice as the equal treatment of various
groups of people, without none of them being treated better or worse than
any other. These groups, based on the four elements, are the men of the sword
(governors and soldiers, under the element of fire), the men of the pen (viziers
and scribes, under the element of air), artisans and merchants (under the ele-
ment of water), and peasants (under the element of earth). Celalzade stresses
that it is justice that causes the well-being of states and oppression that brings
them down, giving a list of kings who, though infidels, were successful because
of their justice (and, also, of Islamic dynasties that declined because they
neglected justice: B70). Celalzade’s formulation of “the circle of justice” is
impressively original, since it introduces towns and cities in the classic series
of dependences (B69):104
With justice, a kingdom may last even if its master is an infidel, but with
tyranny it cannot stand even if its master is a believer ... There is no king
without an army, no army without wealth, no wealth without urban-
dwellers, no urban-dwellers without peasants, and no peasants without
justice; justice is the most important and necessary of all.102 Yılmaz 2007, 199–200.
103 Celalzade adds that if only two Circassians remained in the world, one would be the king
and the other would seek to dethrone him.
104 Also quoted in Yılmaz 2006, 159: mülk adl ile kâyim olur sâhibi kâfir ise dahi, amma zulm
ile durmaz viran olur sâhibi mümin olursa dahi ... melik ‘askersiz, asker mâlsuz, mâl
şehirlersüz, şehirler re’âyasuz, re’âya adlsüz olmaz adl cümleden mühim ve lâzım imiş.